WORDS: Lee Hogan
PICS: Max Peters
THIS FEATURE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN ADB ISSUE #472
The company has always prided itself on building machines that turn on a dime and has, generally, chosen agility over stability. Suzuki has also put a huge amount of time into developing its engines to make them smooth and rideable but with enough punch to get you out of trouble. For 2019, the Suzuki RM-Z450 remains relatively unchanged from the model which received a complete overhaul last year.
Still without electric start, the Suzuki is now the only major 450-class machine to not have the button, but the latest model has all the other bits and pieces needed to make up one heck of a race machine. The Showa spring-cartridge fork has revised compression damping and the Showa BFRC shock has also been stiffened in the hope of rocketing the yellow machine towards the head of the pack.
Favourite five
5. SUSPENSION
When the 2018 model was released, one of the biggest complaints was that the suspension was a tad on the harsh side, particularly the new BFRC shock. So when the Suzuki engineers set to work to the 2019 model one of their main objectives was to get some plushness in the fork and shock.
The new bike is an improvement in the suspension department and the fork is noticeably plusher when going through choppy braking zones. The shock retains the characteristics of the 2018, it is slightly firm and unforgiving until you really bed it in. I’ve found that the BFRC needs almost double the amount of time to bed in when compared with other shocks.
Once we’d put enough time into the suspension I could certainly feel an improvement over the 2018, which was really quite difficult to dial in via the clickers. I found that the 2019 rear-end seemed to work more freely and didn’t lock up as much when going through a series of bumps that were really close together. By speeding up the rebound damping on the shock by just a few clicks, the rear-end would hold up in a much plusher part of the stroke. Around 110mm of rider sag seems to work the best and helps to balance out the front of the bike.
4. CHASSIS
The chassis of the RM-Z450 is certainly on the rigid side compared to a lot of its competitors. This can be a good thing on certain parts of the track and not so good on other sections. Suzuki has gone for a slightly more precise chassis in its latest 450s and it will go exactly where you place it on the track. You’ll hit your ruts millimetre perfect and for those of you tackling supercross you’ll find that the Suzuki will track dead straight across those gnarly whoops without getting too much flex.
The majority of weekend racers may find this chassis a tad stiff on hardpack, choppy outdoor tracks. Particularly near the end of the day when the track is as baked and rough as it is going to get and your energy levels are on the downward slide.
That being said, you’ll have an absolute blast when you find yourself a fun, jumpy track with tacky dirt to play on. For those of you willing to do some of your own R&D you’ll find that there are a number of ways that you can add a little flex here and there without too many dramas. And the 2019 RM-Z450 responds exceptionally well to these changes.
3. ENGINE
At first the engine seems a little on the tame side, particularly after getting off some of the more-lively bikes in the current 450 class. But once you put some serious time into riding this bike and you get the suspension dialed you start to realise just how hard you can push this bike.
The engine is very smooth and really allows you to force the issue around the track. It comes on with a healthy surge right off the bottom and flows through into a decent mid-range punch. It doesn’t have the strongest bottom-end torque of the class, nor does it have the biggest mid-range, but what it does have when you put it all together is a very useable power curve that allows just about any level of rider to hop on and get the most out of the bike.
The over-rev does exactly what it is supposed to do. It doesn’t immediately flatten off leaving you gob-smacked, and it doesn’t take off like a drag bike at Calder Park. It just keeps pulling nicely enough so you have the choice to either short shift into the next gear, or let it keep revving well up over 10,000rpm.
Overall, a very nice engine that I think of as a bit of an untapped resource. It is really quite easy to unleash this motor with a less-restrictive muffler and turn it into a beast.
2. LOOKS
One of my favourite features of the RM-Z450 is how it looks. I think it is one of the coolest-looking machines on the planet. Right from the moment that I saw the 2018 model in Japan I was blown away by how cool it looked.
The shape of the plastics and seat, combined with the new colour scheme of predominantly yellow with a good portion of bright blue through the seat, tank, radiator shrouds and front mudguard, makes the model standout from anything Suzuki has done in the past. Combine that with some tough-looking black rims, black triple-clamps and black Renthal Fatbar and you’ve got yourself one impressive-looking bike.
1. ERGONOMICS
While it may not be quite as important as the engine, suspension and chassis, the ergos on any bike are particularly relevant when it comes to rider comfort and being able to manoeuvre on the machine. In my opinion, the Suzuki has some of the best ergos of any motocross bike.
The seat is nice and flat, which allows you to move forwards and backwards without any issue. The seat and adjoining plastics/frame junction between your legs is skinny enough to feel comfortable but not that skinny that you don’t have anything to grip.
The ’bar/seat/footpeg relationship works well and allows most riders to feel comfortable. From the moment I sat on the 2019 model I felt at home. It seems to straddle the fine line between being comfortable and being too comfortable.
I’m talking race-day comfortable where you want to sit up and go get ’em! The ergos, combined with the accurate chassis, make this bike very easy to throw around in the air.
Suzuki RM-Z450
Engine
Type: DOHC, four-valve
Displacement: 449.7cc
Bore & STROKE: 96 x 62.1mm
Cooling: Liquid
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Fuel metering: EFI
Tank capacity: 6.3L
Transmission: Five-speed, constant mesh
Clutch: Cable, wet multiplate
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 1480mm
Seat height: 960mm
Ground clearance: 330mm
Claimed Weight: 112kg wet
Suspension
FRONT: Showa 49mm spring-cartridge, 305mm travel
REAR: Showa BFRC monoshock, 315mm travel
Brakes
Front: Nissin twin-piston, 270mm wave disc
Rear: Nissin single-piston, 240mm wave disc
Running Gear
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar tapered alloy
FronT: TYRE Bridgestone X30 80/100-21
ReaR: TYRE Bridgestone X30 110/90-19
Price & Contacts
RRP $11,490
BROWSER suzukimotorcycles.com.au
BLOWER (03) 9931 0500
Warranty None
